As we left Florida and began our drive back home to Texas, we soon found out it was not going to be an easy drive. My husband was driving the 20 foot rental truck with his car on a dolly and I was following him in our van with the dog and the children. There was hail and rain to drive through and we had left Sunny Florida in tee shirts and flip flops. (we did have jackets prepared!) We stopped after the first 10 hours and stayed over night. We were all tired, but Kenny was especially tired. The next day we got up to finish our trip homeward and after several hours of driving our family was calling to let us know we *HAD* to pull over. We had been driving on ice and such but they let us know that the interstate was being closed between where we were and home. So, another over night stay.
The next morning we got up early and headed home. We were ready to see our house and be HOME!!!! We pulled into our driveway finally and my hubby and I got out to go in and turn on the heat and just check things out. The house had been vacant for over 2 years while in Florida. We knew we’d have some cleaning to do.
THE SHOCK:
We opened the door to our home, only to find that EVERYTHING had MOLDED. A tree had rubbed up against the roof knocking away shingles. Then the ceiling had leaked and the house having no electricity on etc… had all molded. Yes, the walls, the ceiling, our belongings, EVERYTHING. I started to cry realizing we had lost everything. Our home, our belongings, just everything. I was in shock and devastated yet somehow… I could feel God’s peace in a place in my heart. Still, I was a mess though.
We went to Kenny’s parents (my in laws – yes, that I love) and told them of what had happened. His Dad came with hubby and me back to look at the house. Then we went back over to their house a bit and relaxed a little bit then headed to my parents to stay for “a week or hopefully less” while we found a place to live.
We drove EVERYWHERE. All the little towns around us and even the larger town nearby. We could find NOTHING. We drove for days, dealing with this, as I prayed as did my husband yet I also fretted. Still, somehow that calmness in my spirit was there. I can’t explain it because I was fretting on the outside yet I knew on the inside that God would take care of us. Days upon end, disappointment after disappointment. I was at a loss of what to even think. Kenny and I kept praying diligently.
..:~*~:.. TRIUMPH ..:~*~:..
PRAISE GOD ALMIGHTY – MAY *HE* BE GLORIFIED as I try to share HIS MANY BLESSINGS now.
Well, we passed by this beautiful brick home and we didn’t really pay attention to it but we noticed the realator was a friend of ours. We jotted down her number in hopes that she would possibly know of a rental. We kept driving and looking. I got Teresa on the phone and asked her about the rentals. She said some temporary 2 year jobs had opened up in the area and that’s why all the rental property was grabbed up. I thanked her as she said she’d keep an eye out for us. I was disappointed but glad to talk to our friend and to know she’d be on the look out for something for us. Well, she called me back. There was a house she was selling. The lady’s husband and sons as well as her mother (who lives with them) were already in Colorado and she had been here for over a year (I THINK 2 years) waiting to be able to join her family. Teresa thought she might agree to let us lease it if we would continue to show it. We asked about the house. We were hoping for a 3 bedroom 2 bath but would suffice with a 2 bedroom 2 bath. BUT OH THE GLORY OF GOD! It was a 4 bedroom 2 bath! We were excited. She called the home owner and she said she would consider it. We asked if we could see it. She told us where it was and low and behold it was the house where we had gotten her number from. (we saw her sign in MANY yards of houses)
So, we go to look at the house. We begin to realize this house is something we had been praying we would one day own (a house like this one) when we could. There were so many confirmations there that I will share on another day but this was THE house. We began to talk about the possibility of BUYING it. (that had not even crossed our mind before this time)
GOD worked it out where all the paper work went through and we are now buying this home that we had literally DREAMED of having “ONE DAY.” It had 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, an office, a craft room, and sits on 2.4 acres. It is a beautiful brick home in the country and had all the characteristics I wanted in a home. (a large kitchen and living room for example) But GOD even blessed us MORE! My mother in law has an awesome craft room and I dreamed of “one day” having one. Now, GOD has BLESSED me with one already!!! We simply LOVE the place. It was what we had prayed for and honestly, MUCH MORE.
GOD gave us abundantly more than we could have asked for or imagined just as the BIBLE says He can for His children! ON PRAISE THE LORD JESUS!!!!
Now, we have a home tho we can’t sign the final papers until April and the homeowner is packing but will move out when we sign those closing papers. Tho, it’s a time thing, everything has worked out.
WHAT ABOUT THE THINGS WE NEED IN A HOUSE?
My sweet hubby had tried cleaning the mold off of different things. It came down to the wooden stuff would be okay. We will need to sand and refinish it but it will be okay. What about our sofa and loveseat? RUINED. Also one of the beds in the house was a built in loft bed my hubby did for our oldest daughter. That meant we were short one bed, a mattress and box springs as well as bedding and so on… not to mention somewhere to sit in the new house.
We prayed and GOD HEARD.
First, my mother in law called to say she had a twin bed that she needed to get rid of. It was in storage and she needed to do something with it. She asked if we could use it. BOY COULD WE! An answered prayer. Also, it happens to be the bed they let Madison use when she was little and I ADORE that bed. It was JUST PERFECT for Hannah Joy’s new room! They carried us to dinner and my mother law asked how I would feel if she took each girl, one at a time, to choose new bedding for their new rooms. ABSOLUTELY! I was a little sad that they were going to be getting their own rooms for the first time and we had only one twin bed of bedding. (Hannah’s) I was overjoyed with God’s blessings but in my heart I was also longing for them to have that. See, another blessing! I found out yesterday that she is even looking for some furniture for them!!! She is being so awesome and God is working to bless us right through her. So now we had bedding and a bed. (she’s taking the children in a week to pick out the bedding) We may even have some furniture for their rooms that she is working on to see if she can get them. HOW INCREDIBLE!
FURNITURE for the LIVING ROOM:
Well we were all pretty much set! However, we truly did need something to sit on in the living room. Out we went to search! We searched at so many furniture places. Everything was either junk or way too much money! My mother in law suggested another place and we found a great deal there. Still, we hoped God would provide in another way because we really didn’t need to be out more money since we were now buying this home. Well, I called to share with the homeowner (turns out we knew her!) and sharing our blessings with her. She said, “I might be next on that blessing list.” I said, “why?” She said, “Would you like to have my sectional?” YES! YES! I told her how thankful we were and she was as excited as we were that God was blessing us through her! We shared so many blessings on the phone and ways God had worked. She confirmed that she had felt God had her hold that house for over a year just for OUR family. She also shared some blessings and miracles from their lives. It was so awesome!
Decorations? Now, that’s a luxury, not a need.
However, I was a bit sad that all my decor had been ruined in the house except for a very few small pieces. My Mom asked me if I wanted the decorations she had that she wasn’t using! YES! YES! I told her I would LOVE to have them! I haven’t seen them but she’s an amazing decorator in her own home and has helped me before many times to decorate. I don’t need to see them – God brought them to us through my Mom and I know they will be just right. She doesn’t have a lot of them but we have tons of built ins in the new house and need some things to put there and I am pretty simple so I will just be thrilled with anything she has.
ANOTHER blessing??
I have very few clothes since I lost my weight. My sister, KJ, blessed me with a TON of wonderful clothes that I LOVE and that FIT! She was so generous and loving as I tried everything on as if I were on a shopping spree! GOD BLESSES and He blessed me through KJ that way. I also was blessed with a beautiful pair of black boots and a nice leather coat.
Today, my Mom came to me and said, ” I have something for you but I didn’t have any wrapping paper.” Of course I didn’t care about wrapping paper. She brought out a GORGEOUS yellow shirt, just my style, along with PERFECTLY matching necklace and earrings. Yet another blessing. Also, while we were away from home yesterday she made the girls vases of beautiful daffodils with bows inside precious vases. She wrote them each a special note. WHAT A BLESSING SHE IS TO ME AND ALL OF US.
I had to ask if we could stay longer until we could close. She told me how she had been sharing with everyone what a JOY and BLESSING we had been here and how she will be sad when we leave. I feel the same way towards her and Dad! We have made the best memories. Yesterday marked 3 weeks here and we all agree it feels like one week. It has gone so wonderfully and fast! I do the housework, everyone’s laundry and the cooking. And they provide us with a wonderful home, their precious love and time, heat, air etc… I am going to be excited to move in our new house yet sad to leave here. Even my children said today, “Can we stay here for 40 years??” LOL!
GOD IS AMAZING. HE HAS PROVIDED OUR NEEDS COMPLETELY. The “wants” or “we think we needs” will come in God’s timing and in His way. I GIVE HIM ALL THE PRAISE AND GLORY AND HONOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is God doing in your life? Please share!!!
With a heart of greatfulness, Cassidy
I KNOWWW I TOOK SOME!
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